In the wrong place it can be the most annoying and aggressive plant you have.
On the other hand, Bermuda grass can make a nice lawn if you don’t mind its invasiveness and short growing season.
But many people dislike both these characteristics.
Warm-season grasses, such as Bermuda grass, zoysiagrass and buffalograss, green up later than cool-season grasses, such as tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass.
They also go dormant earlier in the fall, which can make a lawn unattractive.
Bermuda that invades a cool-season lawn will be brown during much of the spring and fall, while the rest of the lawn is green.
And it is much more drought- and heat-resistant than cool-season grasses, so it will take over a cool-season lawn during the summer months if it is in full sun.
So how do you control Bermuda that has invaded a cool-season lawn?
A research study showed glyphosate (Round-up, Kleen-up, Killzall, Kleeraway) is the best herbicide for the job.
Note that glyphosate is a non-selective herbicide and will kill everything— including tall fescue or Kentucky bluegrass.
You will need to reseed treated areas.
In the study, glyphosate was applied as a 2 percent solution on July 15 and again on Aug. 15 on a Bermuda grass plot that was more than 15 years old.
More than one year later, there was no regrowth.
Glyphosate works best if the Bermuda is growing well.
The better the Bermuda is growing, the more chemical is taken up and pushed into the roots.
Water and fertilize if needed to get it going.
Spray about the middle of this month (or when the Bermuda is growing well) and again about a month later if there is any green left in the Bermuda.
Use glyphosate (2 percent solution).
Wait two more weeks and reseed.
Scott Eckert is Harvey County Extension agent, horticulture.
